2012 Rugby Championship Game 2 New Zealand vs Australia - 25 August

[Reido]

I'm honestly not that upset. I came to realize that the Wallabies were shit when the team was picked to play Wales. I prepared myself for this and I swear I'm all the better for it.

My point is that this hasn't just happened. It's been going on for years and it won't change until the coach is gone.

It almost looked to me like Cooper held back tonight. Is he trying to set Deans up for failure? Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

By the way, if this continues, start preparing for disappointment next year during the Lions Tour.

 

[Bullrush]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) played well I thought. I like him at FB.

I liked Moore's interview after the game only because it looked like he is truly broken that they didn't win.

Sharp.....the man just keeps going and going......

Hooper - great debut. I think Hooper 7, Pocock 6 need to be looked at in the future

Barnes - what.a.shocker. Everyone's already talked about the kicks but.......WTF was up with the kicks?!?!

Genia - does anyone still think he's the best halfback in the world?? He's a very good halfback but he's not the best yet......

Ioane - must wish he played for a team where the rest of the team knows what a winger is....

Mitchell - geez I feel for this guy. Is that the end of his career??

 

[Gnostic]

Well. What to say?

Well done to the ABs. My thoughts:-

1) The ABs breakdown is very good and made to look exceptional by the fixation of Australian Rugby on the "pilfer". At no stage does any Wallaby forward seek to go forward at the breakdown. They are all there bent over fishing around with their hands. Props, 2nd rowers the lot nobody drives forward. In fact I would be happy to see a team selected with no "fetcher" and told that they MUST drive at the ruck. The pilfer is a rare event now and the holding on must be for seconds (by which time the supporters should be there (if they don't play in yellow that is) so I see no need for one Fetcher let alone two in the squad, unless that fetcher is the best in the world in their position and in form. Looking to the future I would be saying to Hooper to focus on developing his game away from this aspect lest he be left behind. Pocock I must say must also develop his game because I agree with so many posters of other nationalities in saying that he has become a one trick pony and that has become easily nullified.
2)I refer all to my earlier post and say that Deans employed game plan 2(b). Go wide. The Wallabies forwards did reasonably well, indeed better than I thought they would to maintain possession. I was unfortunately proved totally right in questioning the selection of Mitchell and Beale in the squad. Neither are fit or match fit. Whoever rated Beale as a "World's best 15" has no idea at all about what they are speaking of. Beale has NEVER been any good under the high ball. Every high ball to him is a lottery and just like in lotteries you lose more than you win.
3) Deans used the bench. Yay.

Finally Deans you are a Dingo. If you don't know what I mean look it up. In your post match interview you spoke about the ABs accuracy, at last count they had made over 15 handling errors, accuracy? FFS. This week you changed the whole backline, in a tacit admission that you have totally F*&^* up for the last 18 months. Do you take responsibility for this? Of course not. No coach in the world could have got close to the ABs? I don't think many ABs supporters will be that happy with the handling and accuracy of the ABs. Dingo - go look it up.

One comment on the Fox Sport commentary. Kearn and Kafer on Owens performance throughout the game - just poor and for seasoned players poor understanding of the laws. As an example Moore getting penalised for "NOT RETREATING" outside the 10M from Beale's kick. Do you not understand? Retreat FFS Beale cannot run them onside. Secondly they both bleat about it having no effect on the game, Moore received the ball FFS. Fools. Marto in the post game talking about how close Deans was to getting the ABs coaching job, nice re-write of history there Marto. Deans went to the interview process (which he nicely avoided to be appointed Wallabies coach) and it is real history that he had no systems or coaching assistants or anything to offer except the almighty Robbie, which has proved so cohesive and able to generate a fluid style of rugby and comprehensive game plans. The lot of you are a waste of space. Yes men and ARU door mats.

 

[Mr Doug]

Terrible coaching/selection from Deans, why are we playing two open sides when it's obvious we need more physicality at the ruck.

I've been a long supporter of RD.. But this is the straw which broke the camels back..

Is it surprising we can't score tries, how many tries were scored between our whole backline In the Super Rugby season.. Where are the finishers??

TOCC, I said the same many pages ago, "enough is enough", we need to be freed from Robbie's mediocracy and confusing instructions!

 

[kronic]

F**k this, bring back Super Rugby. I'm over it.

 

[teach]

Just watching the post match interview with Cooper. Their gameplan was to kick the ball deep! Surely they knew that was not a winning plan?

EDIT: Just watched Coopers interview again on live rewind. His words were "We wanted to play down their half".

 

[ACR]

Deans has to go now - as in right now.

The team will not progress with him. They are going backwards.

Agreed in principal. Against this I have to say, the All Blacks are a step up on everyone at the moment, they impose themselves on teams as much as the opposition plays poorly. Also, honestly, I have to suspect that the players willingly or accidentally disregard whatever Deans tells them. No coach would tell his team to make the decisions that Australia were making tonight. Deans could never admit that the players aren't following his game plan either. Whatever the case it's not working, so he has to go.

EDIT: Haven't watched interviews. Game-plan to kick deep? no no. Poor plan but they didn't even try to execute anyway. You hold onto the ball ala Ireland game 2 and France RWC. Lower levels of fitness though so kicks needed to be CONTESTABLE up and unders ala 2009 SA and really a bit of luck.

The rugby championship is a no win from here. See it out, or bring someone in now with the 2 week gap? I think he will end up seeing it out, pragmatism and all. Someone new for the EOYT.


On the game: How was Barnes at first receiver so often? I've said it before, he's not good enough. It's tough but Cooper should have imposed himself. The rest, I basically agree with The Red Baron up there ^^. Also, how good is Kieran Read? Amazing second half, that tackle on Barnes., hnnnggghh. Also when Smith made one of his breaks and flung a pass out to Jane that got knocked back by Ioane, hnnnggghh what a passing technique. Worth the match to watch a pass like that on the fly.

Oh yes, we did get the rub of the green as well.

Damn, I also retract the up and under thing. I was only suggesting it because I don't think the Wallaby kickers can dominate the AB's via any other kicking method either.

 

[The Red Baron]

Just watching the post match interview with Cooper. Their gameplan was to kick the ball deep! Surely they knew that was not a winning plan?

That makes me sad to hear that

 

[FairWeatherAussie]

I don't know how anyone can complain about Dingo coming into this game with no tactics. He obviously dusted off the playbook from the world cup semi, 'box kick to Dagg and Jane whenever under pressure'. He even managed to add a few more variations to it, such as 'chip kick to Dagg and Jane whenever under pressure' and 'grubber kick to Dagg and Jane whenever under pressure'. And I think the coup d'état which probably really threw the AB's, was 'chip and grubber to Dagg and Jane whenever we have them under pressure'! I'm sure they never expected that.

 

[teach]

Yes. Surpising it didn't work because we know how useless Dagg and Jane are under the high ball.
Even Ben Smith, coming off the bench, had a field day under high ball.

 

[naza]

1) The ABs breakdown is very good and made to look exceptional by the fixation of Australian Rugby on the "pilfer". At no stage does any Wallaby forward seek to go forward at the breakdown. They are all there bent over fishing around with their hands. Props, 2nd rowers the lot nobody drives forward. In fact I would be happy to see a team selected with no "fetcher" and told that they MUST drive at the ruck. The pilfer is a rare event now and the holding on must be for seconds (by which time the supporters should be there.

Exactly. The first man at the ruck should be focused on driving bodies out of the way, not trying to get hands on the ball. Worse, when there's no easy pilfer opportunity, Aussie teams just shrug and give up. 'Maybe we can snaffle it at the next ruck'. WTF ?! GET IN THERE AND UNLEASH HELL !

 

[Brumbieman]

Timani earnt his jersey tonight. I am happy to eat my words as he proved me wrong. To be fair though it was his first good game in 5 or so starts.

Hooper was good aswell, also did the jersey proud in a tough match. Slipper was better than alexander, higgers was good at the lineout but not elsewhere. Dennis not upto it tonight.

- Barnes was shithouse.

- Beale looks off the pace
- Genia struggles without pack dominance
- Cooper struggles without runners.
- I thought Horne went alright, Ant Fainga'a was pretty anonymous.

Fainga'a got through an absolute power of work in the last 30mins, made a good half a dozen crucial tackles, and excellent breakdown work.

 

[mark_s]

Congrats to the Abs. To strong, to smart, to urgent, to good. Scary thing is that they will get better once they get a centre pairing that is better at capitalising on the many opportunities created by the pigs, dagg and carter.

For us, geez where to from her. Better than last weeK but a long way short of what's required. It's not often I call fr the shoot them all solution but I think we need a serious injection of new blood. People on the hit list include Barnes, Horne, sharpe, Robinson and higgers. But there is somethiing more fundamental wrong. There is effort but its sporadic and uncoordinated and it doesn't translate into hard work. There is also no self belief or maybe its the compete lack of game plan.

 

[biggsy]

Why do the ALL BLACKS know our game better than us.

 

[No4918]

Fainga'a got through an absolute power of work in the last 30mins, made a good half a dozen crucial tackles, and excellent breakdown work.

Would be awesome to have a 13 that could get over the gain line out wide though. Get over the line, take it to ground, recycle. Is it that hard?

 

[Mr Doug]

Sony Bill proved tonight he is not up to Test-Rugby standard! Enjoy the sushi SB, then on to The Roosters NRL team..... doesn't know the meaning of 'loyalty'! Has any other player ever "walked out on the All Blacks to accept a better offer"?!
My other whipping boy KB (Kurtley Beale) didn't get alot of opportunities, so there's no unwarranted criticism fom me tonight.
Owens needs to go back to TAFE and complete his "how to be an above-average rugby ref course"!

 

[Sully]

Would be awesome to have a 13 that could get over the gain line out wide though. Get over the line, take it to ground, recycle. Is it that hard?

and set up a winger. Again I say if we move Barnes out there he is further away from 5/8

 

[boyo]

Well. What to say?

Well done to the ABs. My thoughts:-

One comment on the Fox Sport commentary. Kearn and Kafer on Owens performance throughout the game - just poor and for seasoned players poor understanding of the laws. As an example Moore getting penalised for "NOT RETREATING" outside the 10M from Beale's kick. Do you not understand? Retreat FFS Beale cannot run them onside. Secondly they both bleat about it having no effect on the game, Moore received the ball FFS. Fools. Marto in the post game talking about how close Deans was to getting the ABs coaching job, nice re-write of history there Marto. Deans went to the interview process (which he nicely avoided to be appointed Wallabies coach) and it is real history that he had no systems or coaching assistants or anything to offer except the almighty Robbie, which has proved so cohesive and able to generate a fluid style of rugby and comprehensive game plans. The lot of you are a waste of space. Yes men and ARU door mats.

As I've said before, commentators must know the "Laws of the Game", or else misinformation is spread.

 

[biggsy]

Why do the ALL BLACKS know our game better than us.

I know because the wallabies coach was a ALL BLACK.

Auh the rum is making me feel better about the game.

 

[Richo]

I'll save the match comments for later...

But seeing Beale and Cooper having a laugh with Dagg and SBW after the match just shits me. Compare that to the gutted forwards, Squeaky in his interview, Hooper looking destroyed... You just lost 22 to nil you muppets. Tell your mates on the ABs to fuck off and have a good hard think about your performance.